Battle of Heringen

The Battle of Heringen (11 January 1946) was a skirmish between the forces of the United States and the Soviet Union in the German town of Heringen early in the Cold War. The Soviet Union Erfurt Army's armored contingent moved close to the border after hearing reports of American armor massing along the border; the local commander feared that the Americans were planning a surprise attack. The Americans likewise believed that the Soviets were planning an armored assault on the town, so the American commander ordered his troops to occupy the town of Heringen. The Soviet commander proceeded to dispatch an armored unit to secure the town, and the two sides began to clash. The Soviets overran much of the town with covering fire from their armor, but the Americans counterattacked with their own tanks and managed to recapture the killzone in the downtown area and the eastern side of the town. The two sides agreed to withdraw after their high commands discovered the potentially-compromising situation, and the incident was covered up.